Divergentalia
by CaptainAzenor
Summary: Divergent Human AU. Romano hated Abnegation. His brother Feliciano wanted to choose Amity. Both brothers were orphaned by the disappearance of their real parents and raised in Abnegation. Do they have what it takes to make a choice? And will everything fall apart when a sinister plot is revealed? Rated T for Romano's mouth, and because it's Divergent.
1. Test Stress

Divergentalia

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Hetalia or the Divergent series. This is quite obviously a crossoverish story, with some Divergent characters in it. All Hetalia characters are Divergent. This story does not completely follow the book. Switches between POV's. Human names used except for Romano because his human name isn't actually an Italian name.

NOTE: Roman Empire is Italy and Romano's FATHER in this. This is my theory about parentage in Hetalia. Deal with it. Same goes for Germania. He's HRE, the Germanic states, Germany and Prussia's father. And in actual canon he's also the father of Austria, but not in this fanfic.

Chapter One

Romano sat on the cold metal bench. He hated his faction. He hated being in Abnegation. Hated having to be selfless and perfect. Hated being judged. He was tired of it. He and his younger brother lived here because their father had disappeared, leaving them both orphans. His brother was a sweet boy and everyone liked him. Feliciano had no problem following Abnegation rules. But Romano broke rules all the time.

Today, he had been disrespectful to adults and had gotten into a fight. The authorities had come, handcuffed him and taken him to the detention center. Not like this was the first time, though. Almost every day they hauled him off and locked him in a holding cell for his delinquent behavior. The first couple of times, he had been upset, but now it didn't really bother him anymore. They would eventually let him out and send him home, lecturing him like usual.

Another thing he hated was the color gray. That was all the Abnegation wore. He was wearing a gray robe-like jacket with matching gray pants and boots. Even his undershirt underneath was gray. Ugh. The holding cell was grayish too. The only furniture in the cell was the metal bench he was sitting on. He couldn't wait to get out of Abnegation. Soon, he would take the Aptitude Test at school and it would tell him which faction to choose. He sighed and shifted on the uncomfortable metal bench.

There was the sound of the lock clicking and the cell door opened. Romano stood up from the bench, wincing. The thing was cold and hard. He walked to the door, where an officer was waiting. He stepped out of the cell and into the hallway. The officer shook his head and proceeded to give him the lecture that he had heard so many times before. He didn't bother paying attention. Afterward, Romano walked down the hallway and to the door, where he left the building.

His brother was waiting by the gates of the detention center. When he approached, his brother sighed. ''Can't you go one day without being taken here in handcuffs?'' he asked.

''Apparently not.'' Romano muttered.

Feliciano put a hand on his shoulder. ''Let's go home.'' he said. Romano didn't really want to. He didn't consider that place 'home'. But he walked with his brother down the street until they came to their house. It was plain and gray like every other Abnegation house.

Romano opened the door and stepped into the house. Their foster parents were waiting in the living room. Romano expected them to scold him for his umpteenth arrest, but to his surprise, they didn't. Feliciano went into the kitchen to make dinner. Romano followed, not because he wanted to do as expected of him but to be with his brother. He took a kitchen knife and began to cut the carrots. They didn't speak, the only sound was the thud of Romano's knife hitting the board.

Once they were finished, they went into the dining room, placing the food on the table. They all sat down and began to eat. Romano expected his foster parents to bring up his behavior, but again, nothing was said about it. ''How was your day today, Feliciano?'' their foster father asked.

''Ve, it was nice.'' Feliciano replied. The rest of dinner was full of pointless talk like that. How boring.

After dinner, Romano went upstairs to go to his room. ''Romano.'' he heard his foster mother call. He stopped in the hall, turning to face her.

''What.'' he said dully.

''Are you nervous about the test?'' she asked. Yes, he was. What if it told him to stay in Abnegation? Or worse, what if it told him he didn't belong anywhere and he'd have to be factionless?

''No.'' he said aloud. Of course he wouldn't admit his true feelings.

She smiled faintly. ''Well, the test doesn't decide your choice. Know that.'' she said.

He stared at her for a moment. This was the woman who cut his hair every three months. He liked to keep his hair just a little past his ears, not long but not too short and he didn't want to cut his weird hair curl either. His brother did as well, keeping it the exact same length as his and not cutting the hair curl. The Abnegation were not allowed to look in mirrors except on hair cutting day. This was the woman who had taken him in, along with his brother. But did she really care about _him_? Was he just a task to her?

''Now, you get some rest. The test is tomorrow.'' she added after a moment. He nodded and went into his bedroom, slight confused by what she said.

The next morning, after eating breakfast, the two brothers walked to school. ''You aren't worried, are you?'' Romano asked his brother.

''Are you?'' Feliciano replied sweetly. Romano wondered if he should tell his younger sibling the truth.

''Not really.'' he lied, putting on a fake smile. Feliciano smiled back.

''Ve, have a good day. I'll see you at lunch...and after the test.'' Feliciano said. The parted ways, going to their separate classes.

After their classes, which were cut short because of the Aptitude Test, they went to lunch. And after that, they started calling students into the testing rooms. Most of the testers were Abnegation, though there was an Erudite and a Dauntless for Abnegation kids. The rules stated that you can not be tested by your own faction. You also can't prepare for the test, so Romano had no idea what to expect.

Eventually, their names were called. ''From Abnegation: Feliciano and Romano Vargas.'' Romano stood and went into the testing room a teacher pointed to. The Dauntless tester was in there, waiting. She looked up at him. She was less severe looking than most Dauntless, though she had a tattoo. There were mirrors lining the walls of the room. In the center of the room is a reclined chair with a machine next to it.

''Don't worry, it doesn't hurt.'' the woman said, noticing his wary look.

''I'm not afraid.'' Romano snapped. But he was really just trying to convince himself of that.

''Sit down. My name is Tori.'' she said, ignoring his rude manner.

Romano sat down in the chair. She attached an electrode to his forehead, then attached one to herself. ''Drink this.'' she said, holding up a vial of clear liquid.

''What is it? What's going to happen?'' he asked.

''Can't tell you that. Just trust me.'' she replied.

Romano took the vial cautiously and drank the liquid, closing his eyes.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, he was somewhere else. He stood in the school cafeteria, but the room was empty. On the table in front of him were two baskets. In one was a piece of cheese, and in the other was a knife. ''Choose.'' a woman's voice said.

Romano looked for the source of the voice, but found no one. ''Why?'' he demanded.

''Choose.'' the voice repeated.

''What will I do with the items?'' he asked.

''Choose!'' the voice yelled, exasperated.

Romano scowled and defiantly crossed his arms. He wasn't going to do something that someone he couldn't see was telling him to do.

''Have it your way.'' the voice said. The baskets disappeared in an instant.

Romano hear a door open and turned to see who had entered. And cursed, because instead of a person, there was a big, black dog. It was growling, lips curled away from its sharp white teeth. Romano realized why the cheese would have come in handy. Or the knife. But it was too late now.

He thought about running, but the dog would probably be faster. He couldn't wrestle it to the ground. Nor could he tip over a table and use it as a shield. He remembered in his Biology textbook that dogs could smell fear because of some chemical secreted by poeple when they were distressed. And smelling fear led dogs to attack. The dog approached, long claws scraping the floor.

He couldn't run or fight. Instead, he just stood there. What else did he know about dogs? He knew that he shouldn't look one in the eyes. That was a sign of aggression. The dog came closer, still growling menacingly. If staring into its eyes were a sign of agression, then what was a sign of submission?

Romano didn't want to submit to anything, but he didn't want to get mauled either. He knelt on the floor, lowering his head. The dog came closer and closer until he could feel its hot breath. It barked in his ear and he flinched. Then it licked him, ceasing to growl. Romano looked up. The dog was wagging its tail in a friendly manner. ''You're not so scary, huh?'' he asked, petting it.

But then a little Abnegation girl suddenly appeared. ''Puppy!'' she said loudly. She ran towards the dog. Romano opened his mouth to warn her but he was too late. The dog turned, snarling. It was about to pounce. Romano hated Abnegation but he couldn't let the dog attack the little girl. He sprang up and tackled the dog.

His head hit the ground. The dog was gone, along with the girl. Then everything shifted and he was on a bus. There was a man with a newspaper nearby. He turned to Romano, walking up to him.

''Do you know this man?'' he asked, holding up a poster. A wanted poster. The man depicted in the picture was familiar to Romano. An amber-eyed man who was smiling, with messy brown hair and two weird curls that stuck up. It was his father, Romano was sure of it.

''Well? Do you?'' the man asked.

Romano didn't know why his father, or a least a man that looked like his father, was on a wanted poster. And he did not want to tell the man that he knew the man on the poster.

''No. I don't know who he is.'' Romano lied.

The man leaned closer. ''You're lying.'' he said angrily.

''No. I've never seen him before.'' Romano insisted.

''If you know him, you could save me. Do you know him!?'' the man said.

''No!'' Romano snapped.

* * *

He woke, his palms sweaty. He was back in the testing room, still sitting in the chair. When he tilted his head back, he saw Tori behind him. She pursed her lips and removed the electrodes. He waited for her to say something about the test...that it was over, or that he did well...but she said nothing.

He sat forward and wiped his sweaty palms off on his gray pants. He had to have done something wrong. Was that strange look on Tori's face becasue she didn't know how to tell him he was terrible? He wished she would just say it. ''That was perplexing. Excuse me, I'll be right back.'' she said and left.

Romano was worried. What if he was told he wasn't cut out for any faction? He would have to live on the streets with the factionless. He didn't think he could bear that. To live away from his dear brother... Finally, the door opened and Tori came back in the room.

''Sorry to worry you.'' she said. She went to stand by his chair, hands in her pockets. She looked tense and pale.

''What were my results?'' he asked fearfully.

''Romano, your results were inconclusive. Typically, each stage of the simulation eliminates one or more of the factions, but in your case... Only two were eliminated.'' she said.

''Two?'' Romano asked.

''If you had picked the cheese, you would have been confirmed to be Amity. That didn't happen. Amity is out.'' she explained, scratching her neck. ''Normally, the simulation progresses in a linear fashion, isolating one faction by ruling out the others. Your choices didn't allow Candor to be ruled out, so I had to alter the simulation and put you on the bus. And your dishonesty ruled out Candor.'' she said, half smiling. ''Don't worry, only the Candor tell the truth there.'' she assured him.

He felt one of the knots in his chest loosen. Maybe he wasn't such a bad person.

''Well, I suppose that's not entirely true. People who tell the truth are Candor...and Abnegation.'' Tori said, correcting herself. ''Which gives us a problem.'' she added.

Romano's mouth fell open.

''On one hand, you tackled the dog rather than let it attack the girl, which is an Abnegation response... but on the other hand, when the man told you the truth would save him, you still refused to tell it...not Abnegation.'' she said, sighing. ''Not running from the dog suggests Dauntless...but so does taking the knife, which you refused to do.'' she added.

She paused before continuing. ''Your intelligent response to submit to the dog indicates Erudite. I have no idea what to make of your indecision in stage one, but-'' she was cut off.

''Wait. So you have no idea what my aptitude is?'' he demanded, interrupting her.

''Yes and no. My conclusion is that you have equal apitude for Abnegation, Dauntless and Erudite. People who get this kind of result are...'' she trailed off, looking over her shoulder like she expected someone to appear behind her.

''...are called...Divergent.'' she said, the last word quiet. She looked tense again. She walked around to the side of the chair and leaned over him.

''Romano, under no circumstances are you to share that information with anyone. This is very important.'' she said sternly.

Romano nodded. ''We aren't supposed to share our results. I know that.'' he said.

Tori knelt next to the chair, placing her arms on the armrests. ''No. This is different. I don't mean you shouldn't share them now; I mean you should never share them with anyone, _ever_. Divergence is extremely dangerous. Do you understand?'' she demanded.

Romano didn't understand how inconclusive results could be dangerous but he nodded anyway. ''Okay...'' he said. He got up from the chair.

''I suggest that you go home. You have a lot of thing to do. Waiting with others will not help you. Tell your parents that the serum made you sick and that I sent you home. Understood?'' she asked.

''Yes.'' he said quietly. He left the room.

Romano decided not to take the bus. Instead, he would walk home. The city around him is a patchworked mess of old, crumbling buildings and newer, sleek buildings. Most people don't own cars, either. The Abnegation are responsible for renovating the city. They all live like monks and nuns, helping other people but forgeting themselves. He hates it. Romano knows for a fact he won't choose Abnegation at the Choosing Ceremony.

Just past the Abnegation sector is a place with the skeletons of buildings that he was currently walking through. There are places where the streets is collapsed, revealing the sewer underneath. Uhg. This was where the factionless live in poverty, doing jobs no one else wants. The place he might end up. He shuddered.

Romano saw a factionless man standing on the corner, staring at him. He wore rags and he was very thin, his face pale and gaunt. ''Excuse me. Do you have something I can eat?'' he asked in a raspy voice. Romano pitied the factionless, so he decided to help.

''Uh...yes.'' he replied, reaching into his messenger bag. He offered the factionless man some apple slices. The man reached for them but grabbed Romano's wrist instead. He smiled, revealing missing teeth.

''Let go of me!'' Romano exclaimed. His heart was pounding. He tried to pull his wrist away, but the man was stronger than he looked.

''You look a bit young to be walking around by yourself, boy.'' the man said.

''I'm older than you think. I am seventeen.'' Romano retorted hotly.

''Then isn't today a special day for you? The day before you choose?'' the man asked with a wider smile. ''But wait...seventeen? Shouldn't you have already chosen?'' the man added, confused.

Romano was supposed to have chosen at sixteen but he had requested to wait for his brother. His foster parents had pulled some strings for that to happen. Because they were high up in Abenegation. He doubted they had done it for him, they had probably done it for his brother.

''None of your damn business! Let go of me! Chigi!'' Romano snapped. He was prepared to fight to get away from this man. But just as he was getting ready, the man released his wrist.

''Choose wisely, boy.'' the man said before leaving.

Romano quickly returned to his house and sat on the front step, waiting for his brother to get home. A moment later, he saw Feliciano. ''What are you doing here?'' Feliciano asked.

''I got sick from the testing serum and they sent me home.'' Romano said, using the lie Tori had told him to.

''Ve, I did too.'' Feliciano said.

''Really? That sucks.'' Romano said. He thought it was odd that his brother was sent home too, but he didn't say anything.

''What were your results?'' his brother asked sweetly.

''We're not supposed to discuss our results. You know that.'' Romano said.

''Ve, I know but...'' Feliciano trailed off. ''You're right. Lets go inside.'' he added after a moment.

Romano opened the door and they went inside the house. No one was home, their foster parents were at work. Romano went into the kitchen to make dinner. It was his turn but he really just wanted to lie down. His brother followed him, ready to help. They took out the food and started cooking.

''Hey... I... I want to tell you something.'' Feliciano said hesitantly.

''Sure. Go ahead.'' Romano said.

His brother stayed silent for a long moment. ''I... I want to join Amity.'' Feliciano finally said.

''That's fine.'' Romano stated. Amity was perfect for his brother. A bunch of friendly people who liked art.

They went back to cooking. When their foster parents came home, dinner was ready and the table was set. ''How did the test go?'' their foster father asked them.

''Ok...'' Feliciano said.

''Fine.'' Romano said bluntly.

At dinner, their foster father was complaining about nasty reports released by the Erudite. Romano was rude at the table and was scolded by his brother. They weren't supposed to be rude. Oddly, their foster parents hadn't scolded him as well.

After dinner, their foster parents did the dishes. When Feliciano tried to help, they refused it. The two brothers were supposed to think about their choice at the Choosing Ceremony tomorrow. Romano climbed up the stairs, about to head to his bedroom.

''Romano.'' his foster mother called, stepping off the stairs and into the hall.

''What.'' he said without turning around. What did she want? Was she going to scold him now? For his arrest yesterday? For his rudeness at the dinner table tonight?

''Romano... No matter which faction you choose, we will still care for you.'' she said softly.

He turned to face her, surprised. She didn't really look like his real mother. She had brown hair, true, but it was a light brown, almost blonde but not quite. Her eyes were a light gray and her face was slightly heart shaped. Her dull gray Abnegation dress was in perfect condition, complete with an apron. Did she care?

He couldn't find anything to say to her, at a loss for words. He just nodded and retreated into his bedroom. He collapsed on the bed, thinking about the ceremony. What should he choose? He thought he already knew the answer. One of the other factions was calling to him. What does being Divergent even mean?

* * *

Hi. This is the first thing I've written in a while. Blame 1. Writers Block 2. My head having too many ideas at once. Hopefully this fic will be the cure for my writers block.


	2. Choosing a Faction

Divergentalia

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Hetalia or the Divergent series. This is quite obviously a crossoverish story, with some Divergent characters in it. All Hetalia characters are Divergent. This story does not completely follow the book. Switches between POV's. Human names used except for Romano because his human name isn't actually an Italian name.

NOTE: Roman Empire is Italy and Romano's FATHER in this. This is my theory about parentage in Hetalia. Deal with it. Same goes for Germania. He's HRE, the Germanic states, Germany and Prussia's father. And in actual canon he's also the father of Austria, but not in this fanfic.

Chapter Two

Romano woke up when his foster mother called his name from the hallway. He got out of bed and put his clothes on, sitting on the bed to pull on his boots. When he was ready, he opened his bedroom door and stepped out.

He went downstairs and into the dinning room. His foster parents had made breakfast for the big day. Feliciano was already sitting at the table. His younger brother smiled when he entered the room. He sat down at the table and started to eat. His brother looked happy but nervous. He didn't blame him one bit. Today was the day where they would choose a faction to stay with for the rest of their lives.

After breakfast, they needed to get ready for the ceremony. Their foster mother took them both upstairs. She combed their hair and made sure they were looking their best. When she finished, a smile graced her face.

''Ve, thank you!'' Feliciano said.

''You're welcome. This is a very important day for you.'' she replied.

They all left the house and went to the building where the Choosing Ceremony would take place. The building was tall and grand. It was once known as the Sears Tower. The ceremony would be on the 20th floor. They entered the building.

The elevators were crowded. So _of course _the Abnegation would take the _stairs_. After several flights, Romano was out of breath and his legs were burning. His brother wasn't doing any better. When they finally got to the top, Romano thought his legs would collapse. Feliciano was panting and gasping for breath.

Once they had caught their breath, they entered the grand room. They went to sit in the Abnegation section. The room was large. In the center was a platform. On the platform were five metal bowls, each one filled with a substance to match a faction. Gray stones for Abnegation, soil for Amity, glass for Candor, water for Erudite and lit coals for Dauntless.

The representative who was hosting the ceremony stepped up and began a speech about how society relied on the factions. After that, he began calling names. One by one, the kid whose name was called came up. The representative handed him or her a knife. The kid would cut their hand and drip their blood into the bowl of their chosen faction.

''Romano Vargas.'' the representative called. It was time. Romano stood up and went to the platform. He accepted the knife from the representative. He knew what he wanted. He took the knife and slit his palm, dripping the blood into the burning coals of Dauntless. ''Dauntless.'' the represenative announced. Romano looked at the Abnegation crowd. Most of them had expected him to transfer and didn't care. He was a delinquent after all. But his foster mother gave him a knowing smile. She knew, he realized. She knew what he would choose and she was happy for him. She wasn't celebrating that he was leaving.

Feliciano watched the ceremony, nervous and waiting. His brother went up and chose Dauntless. ''Feliciano Vargas.'' the representative called. He stood and ascended the dais. The representative handed him a clean knife. He cringed. He disliked weapons and certainly didn't want to cut his hand. Feliciano took a breath and went to the large metal bowls.

He looked at the Amity one, filled with soft soil. That was what he wanted. To chose Amity. But... His brother was now in Dauntless. He yearned for Amity but his soul, his heart...his whole body and being was calling him to his brother. He didn't want to be seperated from his older brother. They had no one but each other. But...

Feliciano was torn. He hated violence and fighting...and that's what the Dauntless did. They were warriors. The thought of losing his brother...was like physical pain. Faction before blood. That was the rule of their society. He was torn, his soul screaming at him to be with Romano... But could he give up what faction he wanted to choose? The pain seemed, no, it was, very real now, growing in intensity.

He took a breath and brought up the knife. His hand was shaking. He took the knife and slit open his right palm, wincing at the pain. He would do it. He held his bleeding hand up, looking for a brief moment at the Amity soil. Then he thrust his hand forward, dripping his blood onto the hot coals. His blood sizzled on the Dauntless fire. He had sacrificed his own happiness to be with his older brother.

''Dauntless.'' the representative announced. The Abnegation were quite shocked. They though Feliciano would stay. His foster parents looked surprised but not angry. Feliciano stepped off the dais and went over to the Dauntless area to stand next to his brother.

Romano stared at his younger brother in surprise. He thought his brother wanted to join Amity because he didn't like fighting and he was weak. So why would he choose Dauntless...?

''Hey, Feli... I thought you were going to choose Amity.'' he said quietly.

''I was... But... I didn't want to be away from you... All we have is each other.'' Feliciano replied in a whisper. He hugged his brother, resting his head on Romano's chest.

Romano smiled and hugged back. He didn't really want to be seperated either. The last few names were called and then the ceremony was over. The Dauntless cheered and started for the door. Romano and Feliciano followed as they ran down the stairs, yelling. Romano let out a yell himself, glad to be free.

The exited the building and ran towards the train tracks. Only Dauntless rode the trains. They stood around, waiting for a train to come. It wasn't a long wait. Soon the train was getting closer and closer. The Dauntless kids started running along the side of the tracks, jumping into the train cars as the train moved.

''We have to get on!'' Romano said. This was going to be tough...

''Yeah...'' Feliciano replied. He was nervous about this...

They ran as fast as they could, keeping alongside the train. Romano managed to grab a bar and hoist himself into one of the cars. But Feliciano was trying to catch up, falling behind.

''Come on, Feli...'' Romano said worriedly.

Feliciano put on a burst of speed, coming even with the car. He tried to get in, but he was losing strength. He was getting tired, just keeping up with the train was difficult...

''Come on, Feli! Grab the bar.'' Romano said, terrified that his brother would not make it and become factionless.

''I'm trying, Roma.'' Feliciano replied dully.

But just as it seemed hopeless, a girl wearing black and white Candor clothes grabbed Feliciano's wrist and pulled him into the train car. Feliciano landed on the floor with a yelp.

''_Grazie mille_.'' Romano said, reverting to Italian in his immense relief. ''Uh... Thank you very much...'' he added, correcting himself and speaking in English this time.

The Candor girl nodded. ''You're welcome.'' she panted. Having to haul Feliciano into the car had been taxing.

Romano looked at the Candor girl. She had darkly tanned skin that was a nice mocha color and dark brown hair. Her eyes were also dark brown. She smiled at them and held out a hand. ''I'm Christina.'' she said.

''Romano Vargas.'' Romano said, taking her hand.

''I'm Feliciano Vargas.'' Feliciano said cheerfully.

''Nice to meet you. You two...are you twins?'' Christina asked.

''No, but we do look similar, though my hair is darker. I'm older.'' Romano explained.

''Ah. Okay. And what's with those odd hair curls?'' she asked curiously.

''Ve, we've always had them... You can tell us apart beacuse our curls are on opposite sides.'' Feliciano said. A thought seemed to occur to him. ''Oh, and please don't pull them. For some reason, pulling them makes us act strange.'' he added.

''Strange how?'' Christina wondered aloud.

''Uh... Let's just say it makes us act in a way we don't like... And I don't think girls would like it either...'' Romano said.

Christina got the hint and nodded, snickering. They sat on the floor, waiting until they got to their destination. Suddenly, Romano noticed they were approaching a building... and that the train tracks were up high off the ground. The Dauntless kids in the front cars started jumping out and onto the roof as the train passed!

''Holy Mary... They're jumping off!'' he exclaimed. They looked down. The train was up at least seven stories high!

''Eh!?'' Feliciano said, horrifed.

''Come on. We have to jump too.'' Romano said. Although he didn't really want to... They would have to time it right...

''Great. That makes a lot of sense. Hey, Molly... It doesn't make sense!'' a Candor boy said sarcastically, seeing the Dauntless jump.

''It's Dautless, Peter.'' a girl with a large nose and crooked teeth said.

One Amity kid said that he'd rather be factionless than dead and Romano scoffed. Being factionless was considered worse than death! But they couldn't make the kid jump so they ignored him.

''We'll all go together. On three!'' Romano said to Feliciano and Christina. They nodded.

''One...'' The building was coming closer... Feliciano whimpered.

''Two...'' Closer... They could do this!

''THREE!'' Romano shouted. The three of the jumped, sailing over the gap in between the track and the roof. They landed hard on the roof, rolling a bit.

Everyone except the Amity boy made it onto the roof. The girl with crooked teeth, Molly, was holding her ankle. Peter had landed on his feet and was grinning. Then there was a wail. Romano turned to see a girl standing at the edge of the roof, staring down below, screaming. Behind her was a Duantless boy, holding her to prevent her from falling.

''Rita, calm down.'' he said gently.

Romano looked over the edge. There was a body on the pavement below, a girl. Her limbs were bent at awkward angles, hair fanning out around her. Romano grimaced. Not everyone made it. Even the Dauntless aren't safe. Rita sank to her knees, sobbing. Romano turned away. The longer he watched, the more likely he was to panic. And he couldn't panic in front of these people.

_This is how things work here_, Romano sternly told himself in his head. _We do dangerous things and people die. People die and we move on to the next dangerous thing. The sooner that lesson sinks in, the better._ He told himself he would count to three and move on. One. He pictured the girl's body and shuddered. Two. He heard Rita's continuing sobs. Three. He walked away.

Romano's elbow stung. He pulled up he sleeve to examine it. ''Ooh. Scandalous! A Stiff's flashing some skin!'' Peter said. Romano looked up. 'Stiff' is slang for Abnegation and he, along with his brother, were the only ones there. Peter was pointing at him, smirking. There was laughter.

Romano flushed and let his sleeve fall. ''Listen up! My name is Max! I am one of the leaders of your new faction!'' a man standing on the other end of the roof shouted. He was older than the others, with gray in his hair. He stood on the ledge like it was a sidewalk. Like someone didn't just fall to their death.

''Seven stories below us is the entrance to our compound. If you can't muster the will to jump off, you don't belong here. Our initiates have the honor of going first.'' Max announced.

''You want us to jump off a ledge?'' an Erudite girl asked in shock.

''Yes.'' Max replied with an amused look.

''Is there water at the bottom or something?'' she asked.

''Who knows?'' Max said gleefully.

The crowd around the initiates parted. Romano looked around. No one looked eager to leap off the building. But he was proud. It always got him in trouble, but it today it made him brave. He walked towards the ledge. People snicker and laughed. Max stepped aside for him, clearing his way.

Romano walked to the edge and looked down. Wind whipped through his clothes. The building he was on formed one side of a square with three other buildings. In the center of the square was a huge hole in the concrete. He couldn't see what was at the bottom. This was a scare tactic. He would land safely at the bottom. That knowledge was the only thing that helped him step onto the ledge. He couldn't back down now. Not with everyone betting on his failure.

Romano fumbled with the collar of his robe-like jacket, finding the clasp that secured it shut. After a few tries, he undid the hooks and pulled it off his shoulders. Beneath it, he wore a light gray shirt. No one had ever seen him in it except for his brother.

''Yeah, Stiff. Take it off!'' Peter taunted with a leer. Romano turned and stuck his middle finger up at Peter with a glare. Then he turned back to face the hole. He balled up his jacket and tucked it under his arm. Then he jumped off the ledge without hesitation.

He fell down the seven stories and landed on something roughly. It gave way beneath him and cradled his body. The impact was jarring. A net. There was a net at the bottom. He took someone's outstratched hand and they pulled him to the edge of the net. He rolled off and landed feet first on the floor.

''Wow. A Stiff, first to jump.'' a girl with dark hair and three rings in her right eyebrow commented.

''There's a reason he left, Lauren.'' someone else said.

''What's your name? You can change it if you want.'' Lauren asked.

Romano shook his head. ''No, I like my name. Romano Vargas.'' he said.

''Make the announcement.'' someone urged.

Lauren grinned. ''First jumper...Romano.'' she called. The crowd cheered loudly.

Up at the top, Feliciano watched his brother jump. How reckless. He didn't want to do that! It was scary. And he didn't know what was at the bottom. If there was one! But... He had to.

Feliciano walked forward, coming to the ledge. He nervously looked down. So far... People snickered and laughed at him. ''Hey, look! Another Stiff. And he looks weak!'' Peter said. Feliciano frowned. He was weak but...

He stepped up onto the ledge. Like his brother, he took off his jacket and tucked it under his arm. His brother was waiting for him at the bottom. He took a breath and steeled himself. He had to do it before his cowardice talked him out of it. Don't think. Just do it. He jumped.

He closed his eyes. The wind howled in his ears, his heart pounding so hard he thought he could feel it against his ribs. The falling sensation dragged at his stomach. He felt like screaming, but his throat was tight.

After what seemed like forever, he hit something hard. He bounced a little. Feliciano opened his eyes, noticing he had landed on a net. The impact knocked the breath from him and he gasped, struggling to breathe again. He sat up. A boy his age came up. Feliciano flinched. The boy was tall and broad shouldered, with slicked back blond hair and cold blue eyes. The boy held out a hand to him. He hesitated for a moment before taking it.

He rolled off the net and onto the floor, staggering. He straightened up and looked at the blond boy. ''Thank you...uh...'' he trailed off, obviously not knowing the boy's name.

''Ludwig.'' the blond stated. He had a German accent.

Feliciano nodded. ''Ah, okay.'' he said.

''What's your name? You can change it.'' a girl asked.

''No, thank you. My name is Feliciano Vargas.'' he said.

''Alright. So you're related to Romano over there?'' the girl said. He nodded. ''Second jumper...Feliciano.'' she called.

Feliciano walked over to his brother and hugged him tightly. ''Gah! Let go! Too tight, dammit!'' Romano protested loudly.

Feliciano released him. Someone else landed on the net, screaming. Christina. Everyone laughed, but then cheered.

''Welcome to Dauntless!'' the girl said.

* * *

This chapter was going to be longer but... eh. I figured the other stuff should go in the next chapter. NOTE:Germany/Ludwig is supposed to be Tobias/Four. Ludwig is an initiate too, but he didn't have to jump. I'll explain why next chapter.


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